Ghostbusters: consensus on solutions to Phantom Homes

Ghostbusters: consensus on solutions to Phantom Homes

We recently released our new Phantom Homes research which showed that 1 in 3 homes with planning permission have gone unbuilt in the past five years.

Understandably, given the desperate need for more homes, the Phantom Homes research had particular resonance with the media. But there was a striking consensus on the solutions, too.

It was excellent, for example, to see the Sun Says editorial discussing the research and need for urgent new compulsory purchase powers to combat developers who are the go-slow. An approach we at Shelter strongly support.

At the other end of the spectrum, Private Eye covered the research and explained how the 1,200% rocket in the price of residential land over the past 60 years explains why developers might want to keep homes scarce, and ensure healthy profits. Again – we concur.

We drew these issues together for Inside Housing, where we also made the case for a fresh system of housebuilding, inspired by the popular postwar New Towns and Garden Cities of the past.

The upshot then, is that we’re reaching a point where not only are the media – from the Sun to Private Eye – united on the problems, but they’re starting to come together on the answers too.